Toy flying-machine.



E. H.EICHENFBLS.

TOY FLYING MACHINE. i APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 20, 1908. Bmmwnn DBO. 5, 190e.

Patented Feb. 2,1909. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E. H. BIGHENPELS. TOY FLYING MACHINE. APPLIGATION FILED IAN. 2U, 190B. RENEWBD :0120.5I 190B. 91 1,538. Patented Fab. 2, 1909.

9 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2'.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL H. EICIIENFELS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO H. J. NICE COMPANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MIN- NESOTA.

TOY FLYING-MACHINE Specification o! Lettera Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application filed January 20, 1908, Serial No. 411,591. Renewed December 5, 1908. Serial No. 466,163.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL H. EronENFELs, of Minneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Im-` proveniente in Toy Flyin Machines, of which the following 1s a speci ication.

My invention relates to flying machines and particularly to those of the toy type.

The object o my invention is to provide a flying machine that will float upon the air andl move a considerable distance, through the buoyanc and support derivedfrom its shape and t e relative arrangement of its parts and its ropelling means.

A further o ject is to provide a flying machine of ve sim le and economical construction an one that is particularly adapted for toy purposes.

The invention consists generally in an aero-plane member and a curved or arched hood mounted 'thereon Further, the invention consists in a propeller opposite the transverse axis of the aero-plane member and in front oi the hood whereby the air currents Will be drawn through or under the hood.

Further, the invention consists in means for raisin orlowering the rear ed e of the hood for t .e purpose of changing t e center of avity oi the device and regulating the a e of its flight.

rther, the invention consists in means whereby the machine is caused to describe a curve in its flight either to the right or the left and return substantially to the starting oint.

Further, the invention consists in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinalterv described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the .accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Fi ure 1 is a front view of a il ing machine em )odyin my invent1on. ig. 2 is a plan view of t e same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectionall viewillustrating thefpropellin means. Fig. 4 is a rear view of a portion o` the machine illustratmg the means for putting the propellin device under tension. Fig. 5 is a sectiona view on the line zof Fig. 3. Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 1Q and 11 arel diagrammatic views illustratmg modified forms ofthe aero-plane and hood members.

In the drawing, 2 represents the frame of the aero-plane portion of the machine con-- i sisting of small strips of bamboo or other light fibrous material which possesses considerable strength in proportion to its Weight. Cross bars 3 of the same material connect the sides of the aero-plane frame and brace and strengthen the same. lled with suitable panels 4 and 5 of thin light material such as paper, silk, etc. The ends of the aero-plane are turned upwardly as indicated in Fig. 1, and its under surface corresponds substantially to the curve of the bottom of a boat, the aero-plane floating on the currents of air in much the same Way as a boat floats u on the water. The upwardly curved en s tend to make the machine more stable allowing it to rise and fall as the lateral currents of air strike -the curved ends and causing the machine to tip in much the same way as a bird follows the shifting air currents. The flexible ends of the aeroplane provides for lateral balance.

Upon the aerplane I mount a hood or arched frame 6 having suitable cross braces 7 and end panels 8 and an intermediate panel 9. The ends of the frame 6 are secured, to the aerolane by any suitable means and vertical races 1() and 11 connect the middle portion of the aerolane with the corresponding portion oi the ood, a turn buckle device 12 being rovided in the brace 11 for the purpose of engthening or shortening the braces and raising or lowering the rear ed e of the hood. Normally the hood flares s ightly from its forward towards its rear edge and by adjustin the turn buckle the center ofgravity of t e machine may be changed to vary its equilibrium and cause it to alter the angle of its flight.

Beneath the middle portion of the aeroplane and directly under the hood I arrange a transverse frame 13 of li ht material, 1n the rear end of which a hoo 14 is mounted having a handle 15. l A plate 16 is provided in the end of the frame having a series of notches 17 therein anda disk'l8 is secured to the said handle and has lu s 19 adapted to drop into said'notches and lock the hook 14 against backward rotation. This locking device is in effect a simple inexpensive ratchet, very eectve for the purpose de# signed and very light and easily made.

A propelling device 20`is provided within the frame lpconsisting preerabl of a band of elasticiaterial such as rub er that is capable, when twisted, of exerting consid- 110 The frame is l sa would e erable power for driving a mechanism attached thereto. At the o posite end of the frame is a hook 21 to which) the tension band is attached, said hook having bearings in the 6 end of the frame and in a wall 22 and held y inst longitudinal movement in one direction by a button 23. YA. ear 24 is mounted on the shank of the hoo and arranged to mesh with a pinion 25 on a stud 26 that has 10 bearings in the end of the frame and the wall 22 and carries a pro eller 27 that is provided with blades 28. hese blades are near the forward edge of the hood and their revolution tends to suck the air through the 1,8 hood.

Inpreparing the device for flight the handle is turned until the tension band is fully wound up and the handle being prevented from turnin backward by .the

l 'ratchet the power of t e tension device will be applied tofthe hook`21 and transmitted to the ropeller to revolve the same. The revolution of the pro eller will draw the air through the hood an the machine will iloat 25 out`upon the air currents describing a Wide curveand returning .substantially to the starting oint.` It will roll slightly to accommo ate itself to any cross currents of air and will rise and fall as it floats alon in much the same manner as a bird will oat upon the air or a boat upon the Water.

I have found that the curved form of hood over the aero-plane produces the best result as it im inges on a greater volume of air than ossible with a straight hood. I have .also ound that the currents of air rcduced by the action of the propeller Wi be directed throu h the hood and the velocity of the air trave ing between the hood andthe aero-plane is increased and the carrying oapaclty of the machine is correspondingly au ented. The curved form of the hood an its location over the center of the aeroplane allows the greatest pressure of the atmosphere to be applied to the middle portion of the hood, thereby increasing the e uilibrium of the machine. Cross currents o air striking the machine will have the least eiect on a hood of this form. Furthermore, the greatest degree of stability may be obtained Without providing a multiplicity of braces and increasin the weight of the machine. As hereto ore stated the longi tudinal e uilibrium may be easil controlled by (the adjustment of the turn vbuckle.

Ordinarily a single propeller will operate a device of this kind in a straight line only. By means of this form of hood and the location of the propeller blades I am able to describe a curve with the machine and return it substantially to the starting point. I am further able to dispense with all rudders or equivalent devices and control the direction of movement of the machine by the 65 simple operation of the propeller coperating with the ends of the curved hood. I may prefer the form of hood shown in Fig. 1 and also the type of aero-plane illustrated therein, but in Figs. 6 to 11 inclusive, I have shown diagrammatic views of various forms of aeroplanes and hoods which might be employed.

In Fig. 6 the aerolane 29 has straight upwardly turned en s and the hood 30 between them has straight sides also, the apex of the hood being directly above the middle af the aero-plane.

In Fig. 7 a series of curved hoods 31 are shown.

In Fig. 8 the outline of an aerolane 32 is illustrated, having its ends inc 'ned upwardly from the center. Hoods 33 are mounted over the aero-plane and have pro pellers 34. In Fig. 9 an aero-plane with a straight middle portion and curved ends 35, is shown with a curved hood 36 over the middle portion.

In Fig. 1() an aero-plane similar to the one shown in Fig. 8 has a hood mounted thereon that has vertical ends and a top portion 37 that is inclined downwardly from the ends toward the center.

'In Fig. 11 a series of hoods similar to those illustrated in Fig. 8 are shown arranged .in two rows one above another, the aero-plane feature beingsimilar to that illustrated in Fig; 8.

o operate the machine the handle 15 is turned until the elastic band is twisted and ut under torsion. The device is then re` eased at the desired elevation and the propeller will be rapidly revolved. The operation of -the propeller will cause currents of air to be drawn throu h the curved hood and the blades of t e propeller passing near the forward ed e of the hood and its upper curved wall w1 l direct currents of air against the top of the hood, and the air disp aced by the aero-plane aided b the currents drawn through the hood by t e revolving propeller blades will overcome the forces of gravity and the machine will lioat lightly on the air and be drawn forward by the action of the propeller.

I prefer to use the elastic band device as a source of power as it is extremely l' ht,oc cupies but little space in the mac e, is comparatively durable and when wom out or broken can be easily replaced with but little expense.

I do not wish to be confined in this application to the form of frame shown for the power supplying means, or the means emv ployed for transmitting the power to the propeller, nor do I wish to be coniined to anly particular size of the machine as it is capab e of various modifications without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim as my invention 1. A toy ilying machine comprising an a h ood member open at aero-plane member,

and a propeller its ends mounted thereon,

VA -carried by the aero-plane member and hav- 2. A toy flying machine comprising anA aero-plane having upwardly curved ends, a

` hood open at its ends mounted on said aerolane over the middle portion thereof, said ood being curved or arched, and a pro eller carried by the aero-plane member an( centrally arranged with aero-plane member, c its ends secured to said aero-plane, the ends respect to said aeroplane and having blades arranged to sweep past the opening between said aero-plane and hood, substantially as described.

3. A toy flying machine comprising an a curved hood having of said aero-plane projectmg beyond said hood on each side, said hood being open in the front and rear and a propeller carried by the aero-plane member and operating in a vertical plane and arranged to sweep past the open forward end of said hood, said proeller drawing currents of air through said ood and directing them against the u per walls thereof, whereby the buoyancy o the Vdevice is increased.

4. A toy flying machine comprising an aero-plane element, a hood element open at both ends mounted thereon and substantially semi-circular in form and covering the middle portion of said aero-plane, a propeller carried by the aero-plane element having blades arranged to sweep past the open for ward end of said hood and through.

. 5. toy flying machine com irising an aero-plane element having a substantially flat middle portion and upwardly curved ends, a hood substantiall 1 semi-circular in form mounted over the mi dle portion of said aero-plane and open in the front and rear, a pro an raw the an'` therearranged to revolve in Jfront oi said hood the blades of said propeller swee ing past the forward edge of said hood anc near the same, the currents of air drawn through the hood by the revolution of said propeller being directed against the walls of the hood whereby its sustaining power is increased.

6. A toy 4flying machine comprising an aero-plane, a curved hood mounted thereon l tion, vv ith an aeroplane,

eller carried by the aero-plane member and open in the front and rear, a propeller carried by the aero-plane and arranged to revolve near the open end of said hood, and means for raisin or lowering the rear end of said hood for t e purpose specilied.

7. A toy ilying machine comprising an aero-plane, a curved hood centrally mounted thereon and open in the front and rear, the walls ofsaid hood llaring slightly from the front toward the rear end, and a propeller ear ried by the aero-plane and having blades arranged to revolve past the open front end of said hood. and near the same.

8. In a toy ilyin(r machine, the combination, with an aero-plane, of a frame centrally and transversely mounted thereon, a pro-- peller carried by said frame, means arranged to be ut under tension for operating said propclldr a period of time, a hood open at its ends and mounted on said aero-plane and having its open end near the path of said propeller blades, substantially as described.

9. ln a toy llying machine, the combinaof a frame carried thereby, a propeller carried by the frame, an elastic band connected. to the propeller and means for twisting said hand to pnt it under tension to drive said propeller when released, and a hood mounted on said aero-plane and open in the iront and rear and located near t ie path of said propeller, substantially as described.

10. A toy flying machine comprising an aeroplane element having upwardly curved ends and consisting of a light rame work havinor panels of thin material therein, a curve hood arranged over the middle portion of said aero-plane andalso consisting of a frame with panels therefor, said hood being o en in the front and rear, a propeller having b arles arranged to sweep past the open end of said hood, the currents of air from the blades of said propeller being directed against the curved inner surface of said hood and the passage of air through said hood being augmented by the movement of said propeller, substantially as described.

In witness whereof, l have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of January 1908.

J. H. BALDWIN, J. A. BYINGTON. 

